Automatic train-pipe coupling.



M. A. BARBER.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1915.

I W I? 1 Br HTTOK YIE M. A. BARBER.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED .-\PR.22.19I5.

mNHI

III "by,"

1 k i I I I S V w ww N STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN A LLEN BARBER, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OFTWO-FIFTHS T IRVIN GBIFFITK CLAYTON AN-D ONE-FIFTH TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN MOLEB,

BG'I'E 01: MONTREAL, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PEPE COUPLING.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Mau'rm ALLEN Bannrn, a citizen of the United States of Amerion, and resident of the city of Montreal. Province of Quebec. Canada. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Pipe Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full. clear. and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to devices for the automatic coupling of the signal. brake and steam pipes of railway cars and has for an object to improve the general construction of automatic train pipe couplers.

The above with further objects and advantages will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference should be had to the aeeompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved coupler; Fig. 2 is a face view of same; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3--3 Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken as indicated by line 4-4 Fig.1 and showing the couplers of two adjacent cars before coupling; and Fig. 5 is a similar view after coupling. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line o e Fig. 2.

Although my improved coupler may be suspended in any suitable manner from the ear 2. the particular embodiment illustrated and herein described is especially adapted for suspension from the draw bar 3 of the draft rigging and inasmuch as the train pipe couplers at the ends of adjacent cars to be coupled includesimilar parts a description of one of the improved couplers will be sullicient to clearly explain the invention.

A bracket 4 is suspended from the draw bar 3 preferably by means of a supporting member 5 which is slotted at 6 in the longitudinal line of the car, the up er end of the bracket being bifurcated, having i'tsarms 7 located at opposite sides of the support and carrying bolts 8 which pass through the slot. T mapper-end of the bracket is-Widene'dto accommodate thah ens bolted that the bracket will be held agaiast wrfiingor-tilt Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 23,235.

ing. the bolts being supplemented in this action by lugs 9 upon the interior of arms 7 and which bear flat against the underside of the support. The bracket extends downwardly a suitable distance and has an aperture 10 therein for the reception of the inner end of the shank 11 of the coupler head 12. The aperture 10 and inner end of shank 11 are preferably of angular formation to prevent turning. while the aperture is of slightly larger extent than the end of the shank so that the latter may more loosely therethrough. 10 is beveled at 13 to enable the shank to move. either laterally or vertically for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Theinner end of the shank 11 carries a compression sleeve nut which is interiorly screw-threaded to engage witha threaded portion of the shank, the sleeve 12* being tapered outwardly from the head 12" and screw-threaded at the smaller and to receive a lock nut 12 the head 12 being adapted to bear flat against the inner side of bracket 4 and preferably equal in extent to the width of the latter to insure the maximum bearing surface for a purpose to be presently explained. The sleeve is longitudinally split at 112 so that when the lock nut is screwed thereon it will be tightly compressed upon the shank 11.

For simplicity in construction, ease of manufacture and strength the coupler head proper is made in one piece with the shank and consists of bearing frame 12 having at one side a projectin inclined and preferably pyramidal gui e 14 and at the other side an opening 15 of suliicient extent to receivc the pyramidal guide of the coupling of another car, the coupler heads being of right and left formation.

The apertures for the train pipe connections are compactly located so as not to unduly proj'ect beyond the normal confines of the bearing frame and in the preferred arrangement the air brake pipe aperture 16 is centrally located with respect to the frame and in direct axial alinem'ent with shank 11,

the outer portion of which or that part adjacent the frame 'bein hollowed out at 17 to form an air conduit leading rearwardly from aperture 16 ton side opening 18 rovttied with a nipple 19 by means of w ich The outer edge of aperture the usual air hose 20 is attached, the opening 18 being sufiiciently far back to avoid any contact between the air hose and the pyramidal guide entering opening 15 in the frame.

The steam and signal pipe apertures 21 and 22 respectively are disposed at opposite sides of and preferably in vertical alinement with the brake pipe aperture and have rearwardly extending nipples 23 to which their respective'hose pipes 24 and 25 are attached, the aperture 22 being disposed nearer the central one 16 than is aperture 21. Gaskets 25 are located in the pipe apertures so that when the coupling heads of two cars come together and their respective apertures register fluid-tight joints will be made and through passages for the fluids provided.-

The top, bottom and outer sides of the pyramidal guide are apertured while the inner side is recessed at 27 about the side of aperture 16 and flanks same at top and bottom, the-sides of the recess inclining toapproximately the vertical center line of said aperture 16 at such points. The recess provides for the location of the central aperture 16 and should it happen that the coupler heads are not in proper relative position when two couplers are brought together the inclined sides direct the pyramidal guides into their respective openings and by so do ing prevent such guides from striking and damaging the pipe apertures.

As shown byFigs. 2 and 6 the wall of therecess is curved in conformity with the aperture and extends preferably perpendicularly to the frame 12 and outwardly from the latter and such aperture and in a line substantially parallel with the axial line of the latter. Thus when another coupler is engaged, a guideway and snug accommodation is provided for the portion of the frame surrounding the aperture of the other frame as illustrated-in dotted lines Fig. 6.

.' The position of the brake pipe aperture 16 in the center of the bearing frame and in axial or longitudinal alinement with shank 11 reducesfto a minimum any tendency of the high pressure fluid which passes through the central apertures when the coupler heads are together, to force the frames apart as, were such aperture disposed to one side of the shank, the leverage secured would appreciably augment such tendency. It will be seen, by so constructing the coupler as to combine this feature with the advantage of the pyramidal guides without exposing the pipe apertures to damage by the latter, that a most efiicient, compact and reliable coupler is produced.

At the rear of frame 12 and adjacentthe top of shank 11 a pair of spaced lugs 28 are formed and between these lugs a bar 29- aperture 10.

The inner end'of each of the bars 29 and 32 carries and is in screw-threaded engagement with a sleeve nut 34 which is adapted to bear against the inner side of bracket 4,

the sleeve extension 35 passing, loosely through the opening in the bracket and being outwardly tapered at 36 for aportion of its length from the head or nut 34 to accommodate lateral movement of the bar in the opening. A rocker sleeve 37 loosely encircles shank 35 and is formed with an inner rounded end bearing against the outer side of bracket 4, both the sleeve and the lugs upon frame 12 being reduced to formshoulders 38 38* and centering bosses 39for a coiled spring 40 which encircles the bar, bears at its ends against the shoulders 38 and 38 and tends to force the coupler head away from the bracket.

As the bars are inclined with relation to frame 12 and bracket 4 I have, in order to provide bearing surfaces thereon perpendicular to the axial line of the springs, inclined the shoulders 38* of the spaced lugs outwardly and forwardly with relation to shank 11, thus forming fiat bearing surfaces. for the outer ends'of the springs. Inclined bearing bosses 41 are also formed 'upon the back and front of bracket 4 and surround the upper opening 30 therein to form fiat bearing surfaces for the nut 34 and rocker sleeve 37 of the upper bar 29. The perpendicular bearing surfaces for the nut and rocker sleeve of, the lower bar 32 are presented by forwardly offsetting at 42 the lower end of bracket 4.

The coupler head is limited in its move ment away from the bracket 4 and upheld in proper engaging position by the bars 29 and 32 and nuts 34 thereon which bear against the inner side of bracket 4, such nuts also serving .to adjust the, tension of the springs 40 which latter, should the coupler head be shifted out of proper line, return it to the true engaging position. The flat bearing surfaces provided for nuts 34 enable the latter to steady the coupler head v accordance with any adjustment of nuts 34 that may be made and the engagement of the head 12 with the bracket 4 insured.

The uncoupled position is shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 4, the former view illustrating particularly the position of the bearing frame 12 in advance of the bearing surfaces of the draw bar to insure positive and eflicient engagement of the train pipe coupler, this position being readily adjusted according to requirements by loosening'bolts 8 so that the bracket 4, carrying the coupler head, can be shifted, the bolts moving in slot 6.

When the coupler heads of adjacent cars engage, see Fig. 5, they are moved back against the yielding resistance of springs 40, the loose connections of shanks ll and bars 29 and 32 with brackets 4 enabling such bars and shanks to move backward with the coupler heads. pressed springs holds the bearing frames 1'2 tightly together and the mentioned loose connections of shanks and bars and the provision of the roller sleeves upon the bars accommodating the lateral shifting of the coupler head incident to the rounding of curves by the cars and without impairing the tight connection of the bearing frames.

The engaging bearing frames 12 are positively." locked tdgether by means of hooks 4-4 respectively carried by the frames and at dili'erent sides thereof. When the frames engage the hook of each is adapted to be automatically hooked over the other frame and likewise beautomatically released prior to the disengagement of the frames.

Each hook is pivoted to its frame between a pair of spaced lugs 45 formed just at the rear of the outer side of the pyramidal guide and is also pivotally connected at 46 to the outer end of a rod 46 disposed longitudinally of the carand which extends inwardly at the side of shank 11 and passes loosely through a perforated lug 47 projecting laterally from the bracket 4, the rod being screw-threaded 2* inner end to re ceive a nut 48 which bears against the inner side of the perforated lug and restricts the outward movement of the rod.

At a suitable distance along the rod and between the frame 12 and bracket 4 is formed a shoulder 49 which constitutes an abutment for a coiled spring encircling 1 and as the two couplers meet and are forced back against springs 40 and the tension of Y the latter is increased the tension of springs 50 is also increased by the rearward movement of the rods 46 with the coupler heads,

The tension of the comsuch springs 50 yieldingly retarding the rearward movement of rods 46 each of which thus causes the hook connected thereto to swing outwardly through the outer apertured side of the the frame to which it 1s pivoted and hook over the other frame. In this way the engaging frames are automatically locked together at both sides and as the frames disengage the outward movement thereof under the recoil of springs 40 enables the rods 46 to move forward and so causes the hooks to swing inwardly-from engaging position and thus automatically release the frames and enable them to be drawn apart.

' It will be apparent from the above that the tension of springs 40 and 50 is only increased when the coupler heads are together and that therefore excessive strain on such springs is avoided when the couplers are not connected.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In a train pipe coupler, a coupler head having an outwardly projecting inclined guide at one side and an opening at the other side, such inclined guide having a re cess formed therein at the side adjacent the opening and the coupler head having a train pipe aperture located partially within said recess.

2. In a train pipe coupler, a coupler head having a train pipe aperture therein and being formed with a projecting inclined guide at one side of the aperture and an opening at the other side of the aperture, such inclined guide flanking the top and bottom of the aperture and being recessed at one side of the latter.

3. In a train pipe coupler, a bracket, a coupler head, a shank extending from the coupler head and passing through the bracket, and springs bearing. between the bracket and coupler head, such springs being inclined away from the shank.

4. In a train pipe coupler, a bracket, a coupler head, a shank extending from the coupler head and passing through the bracket, coil springs bearing between and inclined with relation to the bracket and coupler, and abutments for the springs prepyramidal guide of sented by the bracket and coupler and dispassing through the bracket and a compres- I sion sleeve nut upon the end of the shank and adapted to bear against the side of the bracket opposite to that upon which the coupler head is located.

6. In a train plpe coupling, a bracket, a

coupler head supported by the bracket, a

shank extending inwardly from the coupler head and passing through the bracket, a

sleeve nut screwed upon the end of the shank adjacent the inner side of the bracket, the sleeve portion of such nut being tapered split and a lock nut screwed upon the tapered sleeve.

7. In a train pipe coupling, a bracket, a coupler head supported by the bracket, a shank extending inwardly fromthe coupler head and passing through the bracket, bars extending from the coupler head and passing through the bracket, springs bearing between the coupler head and bracket and adapted to force the coupler head away from the latter, adjustable means upon each of the bars and shank, adapted to engage with the bracket and a'djustably and uniformly limit the movement of the coupler head away from the bracket.

8. In a train pipe coupling, a bracket having top and bottom openings therein, a coupled head disposed at the front of the bracket, upper and lower bars pivoted to the coupler, diverging from the latter and respectively passing throligh one of said openings, sleeve nuts screwed upon, the ends of said bars, the

heads of such nuts being located at the rear of the bracket and the sleeve portions ex tending loosely through the openings and being tapered adjacent the heads, a rocker sleeve encircling the sleeve portion of each sleeve nut and having that end adjacent the bracket rounded, coiled springs encircling the bars and bearing between the bracket.

and the rocker sleeves,.back and front bosses encircling the top opening, the tops of such bosses being inclined with respect to the bracket and the portion of the bracket ad:

jacent the lower opening being forwardly offset to provide bearing surfaces, for the their respective springs. from the head thereof and longitudinally heads of the sleeve nuts and the rocker sleeves, perpendicular to the axial lines of 9. In a railway car, a support attached I to the car and slotted in the longitudinal line. of the latter, a train pipe coupling, a bracket for carrying such coupling and having a. bifurcated upper end the arms of which are disposed on opposite sides of the support, a bolt passed through the upper arms of the bracket and located in the slot of the support and lugs upon the inner sides of the upper arms of the bracket, such lugs adapted to engage with the underside of said support.

10. In a train pipe coupler, a couplerhead formedwith a train pipe aperture and having a projecting guide at one side of the train pipe aperture and an opening at the other side of such aperture, the side of the guide adjacent the aperture being inclined and recessed about the latter and the wall of the recess being substantially parallel .to the axial line of the trainpipe aperture.

11. In a train pipe coupling, a coupler head formed with a train pipe aperture and having a projecting-guide at one side of the train pipe aperture and an opening at the other side of such aperture, the side of the guide adjacent the aperture being inclined and recessed and the wall of the recess ex: 

